Heater having a fire control damper



ie-r L- O HOWELL HEATER HAVING A FIRE CONTROL DAMPER Aug'. 20, 1957 Filed Aug. 5, 1955 United States Patent 2,803,240 HEATER HAVING A Fnzn CONTROL DAMPER Lawrence 0. Howell, St. John, Wash.

Application August 5, 1955, Serial No. 526,641

4 Claims. (Cl. 126-93) This invention is a heater having a fire control damper.

One object of the invention lies in the provision in a heater of a fire control damper in which the damper may be disposed at selective positions to control the volume of air admitted into a reservoir of combustible matter.

Another objectof the invention lies in the provision in a heater of a fire control damper supported for movement within a container into and out of covering relation to an open top fuel reservoir and including a longitudinally slidable bar disposed behind a horizontal slot in the side wall of the container through which manually operable means extends and is supported so that the damper may be operated from outside of the container and yet the bar will at all times cover the slot.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision in a heater of a fire control apparatus for a sportsman combined stool and stove which comprises a minimum number of parts assembled with facility and thus one which is inexpensive to manufacture and highly desirable.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent during a study of the following specification when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of one side wall of the container and having a portion thereof broken away to disclose the improved damper in side elevation;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross section taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 22 of Figure l and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the damper constituting the subject matter of my present invention.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings I show a sportsmans combination portable stool and stove which is indicated in its entirety by the numeral and one which it will be seen is provided with side walls 11, a bottom wall 12, and a top wall 13. The top wall 13 in cludes a supporting board 14 which carries a cushion 15 covered by a thin covering material 16 and thus forming a seat upon which a sportsman may sit.

In certain ones of the side walls 11 adjacent to the lower edges thereof I provide a plurality of apertures 17 which constitute air ingress openings. In other ones of the side walls 11 I provide apertures 18 adjacent to the upper edge thereof and constituting air egress openings. Preferably in one said side wall 11 I provide an access opening 19 which is covered by a closure 20 hinged at 21 to the side wall 11 and is provided with a manually operable latching mechanism 22.

Within the container 10 I provide a grill 23 spaced above the bottom wall 12 and providing a surface upon which metal cups as well as sandwiches wrapped in metal foil may be supported for heating.

Carried by the bottom wall 12 is a bracket 24 which supports a pair of horizontally extending resilient jaws 25 adapted to receive and releasably secure a fuel reservoir 26 which is preferably a can containing a solid type of volatile fuel such as conventional Sterno. The combustion of this solidified alcohol fuel is controlled by varying the volume of air admitted into the can or reservoir 26 to promote combustion. The damper constituting the subject of this invention is particularly adapted for controlling combustion of fuel in this and similar type containers.

In Figures 1 and 2 one wall 11 of the container 10 is provided with a horizontally extending slot 27. On the inner face 28 of the wall 11 a longitudinally reciprocal bar 29 is disclosed in covering relation to the slot 27. In Figure 1 a portion of the bar is broken away to disclose the slot therethrough. At one end, means 30 is provided to support the bar for reciprocal movement and therefore constitutes a support bearing therefor. It. will be seen that the support bearing 30 is a strap welded at 31 to the wall 11 and having a portion bent away from the bar 29 so that together with the wall 11 it defines an aperture through which the bar 29 may reciprocate.

Damper plate 32 extends in a horizontal plane within the container 10 in covering relation to the open top of the reservoir 26 and is provided with a flange 33 disposed at right angles to the damper plate body 32 and in face to face'relation to the bar 29. It is thus also disposed in covering relation to the slot 27. The flange is preferably spot welded as at 34 to the bar 29 but it may be secured in another manner if desired.

Aligned apertures 35 are formed in the flange 33 and the bar 29 and a bolt 36 extends outwardly through the apertures 35 and the slot 27 and is provided with external threads at its outer end portion. At the opposed end the bolt 36 is provided with a square head 37 which is confined against rotation by hearing against the damper plate 32. A hand knob is threadedly associated with the bolt 36 and is disposed outside the container 10 so that the bar is thereby manually clamped and released with relation to the front wall 11.

When the hand knob is released the damper 32 may be moved to the broken line position of Figure 3 wherein it is completely out of covering relation to the open top of the reservoir 26, or it may be moved to the full line position where it is in complete covering position to the open top wherein the fire is smothered or it may be selectively disposed at any position intermediate the two shown, to permit manual control of the volume of air admitted into the reservoir and thereby control the amount of heat produced by combustion within the container.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States the following:

1. In a heater having side walls enclosing an open-top fuel reservoir, one said side wall having a horizontal slot, a horizontal bar reciprocal longitudinally in covering relation to said slot on the inner face of said side wall; a damper plate having a vertical flange carried by said bar and body extending horizontally within said container; said bar and said flange having aligned axially horizontal bores; a bolt having a head confined against rotation by said damper plate and a body extending outwardly through said bores and slot and threaded on its outer end portion; a hand knob threadedly engaged on said bolt and manually rotatable to selectively clamp and release the bar with respect to the said side wall; a confining strap carried by said side wall spaced from and in longi tudinal alignment with said slot and constituting a support bearing for said bar; and means fixing said opentop fuel reservoir in said container in a predetermined position wherein the damper plate is movable into and out of covering relation thereto, whereby the volume of volatile vapor discharged from the reservoir is controlled by manual selection.

2. In a heater having side walls enclosing an open-top fuel reservoir, one said side wall having a horizontal slot, a horizontal bar reciprocal longitudinally of and in covering relation to said slot on the inner face of said side Wall; a damper plate carried by said bar and having a body extending horizontally within said container; a bolt fixed against rotation relative to said damper plate and extending outwardly through said slot and threaded on its outer end portion; a hand knob threadedly engaged on said bolt and manually rotatable to selectively secure and release the bar with relation to said side wall; means carried by the side wall spaced from and in longitudinal alignment with said slot and constituting a support bearing for said bar; and means fixing said opentop fuel reservoir in said container in a predetermined position wherein the damper plate is movable into and out of covering relation thereto, whereby the volume of volatile vapor discharged from the reservoir is controlled by manual selection.

3. In a heater having side walls enclosing an open-top fuel reservoir, one said side wall having a horizontal slot, a horizontal bar supported for reciprocation longitudinally in covering relation to said slot on the inner face of said side wall; an externally threaded member fixed relative to said bar and extending outwardly through said slot; a hand knob threadedly engaged on said member and manually rotatable to selectively clamp and release the bar with respect to said side wall; means fixing said opentop fuel reservoir in said container in a predetermined position; and a damper plate carried by said bar and extending horizontally within said container in the horizontal plane at the open top of said reservoir whereby reciprocation of said bar shifts said damper plate into and out of covering relation with the open top of said reservoir to control by manual selection the volume of volatile vapor discharged from the reservoir.

4. In a heater having side Walls enclosing an open-top fuel reservoir, one said side wall having a horizontal slot, a damper plate disposed in a horizontal plane; means on the inner face of said wall in covering relation to said slot supporting said damper plate against displacement from its horizontal plane and guiding the movement thereof longitudinally of said slot in said horizontal plane; manually controlled means for shifting said plate and selectively locking it at desired positions along said horizontal plane; and means fixing said open-top fuel reservoir in said container with its open top disposed at said horizontal plane with the damper plate moveable into and out of covering relation thereto whereby the volume of volatile vapor discharged from the reservoir is controlled by manual selection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 319,367 White June 2, 1885 682,826 Buck Sept. 17, 1901 1,054,193 Guenther Feb. 25, 1913 2,698,646 Hepworth Jan. 4, 1955 

